Nigerian artist Ikuforiji Olaitan Abdulrahman, Oxlade, has said that he slept under the bridge for a while after fleeing his home to pursue his music career.
He claimed that his lecturer father was opposed to his intention to pursue music, causing him to flee and work various menial jobs to survive.
The ‘Away’ singer admitted to selling BRT bus tickets and sleeping at Ojuelegba barrack bridge on occasion.
Oxlade revealed this when appearing on Adesope Olajide’s Afrobeats podcast.
He said, “Back then, I used to sleep at Ojuelegba barrack bridge sometimes. I did several menial jobs to survive. I was selling BRT tickets.”
The singer also stated that he is more interested in creating classical music than popular tunes.
Oxlade said, “If you don’t take your time to create some songs or create anything, it’s gonna sound rushed. If you rushed in, you rushed out.
“I am not looking for hits, I am looking for classics. I mean, ‘Away’ is four or three years old, but it’s still banging. ‘Ku Lo Sa’ is a year old, it still bangs. ‘O2’ from nowhere, it just blew up last year. These songs are old, but they still have value right now.
“I don’t want to mention names, but I know of a lot of artists that dropped songs last year that blew up but they are gone now. I’m not trying to impress, I’m trying to leave a long-lasting image in your head.”
